ARRO Community:http://hdl.handle.net/10540/86082
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 20:43:12 GMT2015-03-31T20:43:12ZReflections on the newly qualified social worker's journey : From university training to qualified practicehttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/347147
Title: Reflections on the newly qualified social worker's journey : From university training to qualified practice
Authors: Walker, Clare
Abstract: This qualitative research study explores the experience of graduating social workers making the transition from university training into work as qualified social work practitioners. Most studies in this area look at the practice readiness of the newly qualified professional. This study looks at the participants’ experience in the work place. How do participants experience this journey of transition? What skills, particularly reflective practice and supervision, learned in training, are important to them?
Eight graduates were interviewed three times as they began to practice, after six months and at the end of year one. Four people worked in children’s services, four in adult services. The methodology adopted for this research was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
These findings suggest there is a process of transition that has three strands, phased development, a professional strand and a psychological /emotional strand. These strands are unique and taken together give a holistic view of an individual’s journey of transition. Across the eight participants there were commonalities and divergences between transition experiences. However a model of transition did emerge which may be applicable to other professional spheres.
Reflective practice and supervision appear to be key elements of a newly qualified social workers practice. All participants received supervision; for the majority supervision was focused on case discussions and the social workers decision making: Little place was given to reflection on practice this was seen as an activity that worker’s carried out on their own in their car following a home visit, or on the way home at the end of the working day. There was no clear model of reflective practice used.
A further finding concerns the methodology IPA, particularly this researcher’s experience of bracketing and research journaling as part of the research process.Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3471472014-04-01T00:00:00ZWhat works: Researching success in parental mental health and child welfare work.http://hdl.handle.net/10540/346870
Title: What works: Researching success in parental mental health and child welfare work.
Authors: Diggins, Marie
Abstract: This study investigates success in parental mental health and child welfare work. Research has established the potential direct and indirect impacts of mental illness on parenting, the parent–child relationship, and the child, and the extent to which this poses a public health challenge. Problems with how adult and children’s services understand and deliver support to parents with mental health problems and their children have also been identified. In contrast, there has been little research about how parents with mental health difficulties and their children can be supported successfully. ‘What works’, or what constitutes success in parental mental health and child welfare work is missing from the literature. This study aims to begin to address this gap by providing an original contribution to conceptualising and evaluating success in parental mental health and child welfare work.
This is an exploratory study, and as such covers a diverse population, i.e. different family members, different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, parents with different diagnoses, and statutory and voluntary sector agencies. The main issue here is to cover diversity; in terms of exploring different opinions of success – both in outcomes and processes – rather than to ensure applicability of the findings to all families in which there are parents experiencing mental illness.
An interpretative approach was chosen for the study (within that data) to explore these issues. This was obtained by undertaking a multiple embedded case study methodology (Yin, 2003) with 12 families and their key workers from community mental health, children’s social care and the voluntary sector. Data collection was undertaken in three stages: individual interviews with parents, children and the professionals who support them; a review of the agency case files kept about the same families; and three focus groups. Participants were asked to identify successful situations that had occurred in each case study family during the 18 months prior to interview and give details about why these situations worked out well. The focus groups were convened to discuss the emerging findings from the first two phases of data collection.
An examination of emerging themes, and the interplay between themes, gives insight into the shared ideas about what works and the shared methods and practices that are associated with successful outcomes. On the basis of these similarities, the findings offer a contribution to knowledge and practice about a mode of working which seems to make it possible to succeed in helping families previously considered beyond help. What is more, the practitioners also benefit from the helping relationship in this context.Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3468702013-04-01T00:00:00ZIcarus Paradox: the interplay between entrepreneurial cognition and internal stakeholder perception.http://hdl.handle.net/10540/346869
Title: Icarus Paradox: the interplay between entrepreneurial cognition and internal stakeholder perception.
Authors: Miller, Lianne Bernadette
Abstract: This thesis focuses on how entrepreneurial cognition interacts with internal stakeholder perception in established entrepreneurial organizations. In addition, the influence of interdependent factors of cognitive biases, temporality, growth
and performance on the interaction has been examined.
The study is exploratory, phenomenological and framed within an interpretive research paradigm. Primary data was gathered using a qualitative multiple case study methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted every three
months over an eighteen-month period with entrepreneurs and internal stakeholders of nine organizations in Phase I and three organizations in Phase II.
This research is original because it focuses exclusively on the interaction between concepts of entrepreneurial cognition and biases, temporality, internal stakeholder perception, organizational factors, growth and performance for
established entrepreneurial organizations. The empirical evidence highlights that cognitive diversity and differences in perception and expectations have an impact on entrepreneurial and internal stakeholder interrelationships in established
entrepreneurial organizations. Furthermore, entrepreneurial decision-making leads to the Icarus Paradox of confidence-success-attribution cycle that either moderates or mediates organizational growth and performance. The consequence of longer communication chains is limited information flow that
results in cognitive dissonance.
The research contributes to closing the gap in literature on the interdependent nature of entrepreneurial cognition and internal stakeholder perception on organizational growth and performance. The contribution to practice therefore is that in established entrepreneurial organizations the entrepreneurs and internal stakeholders can focus on performance by understanding the cause and effect influence of their interactions. This sets the foundation for further research on
the interaction between entrepreneurial cognition and other organizational concepts.Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3468692014-02-01T00:00:00ZTowards the development of ‘priest researchers’ in the Church of England.http://hdl.handle.net/10540/346224
Title: Towards the development of ‘priest researchers’ in the Church of England.
Authors: Barley, Lynda.
Abstract: The Church of England is living through a time of significant change in attitudes towards local church ministry, congregational participation and pastoral practices. As it seeks to respond with integrity to changes in contemporary society the Church’s dialogue with empirical social research is beginning to develop more fully. This thesis focuses on a pioneer national project to explore the effectiveness of pastoral ministry in contemporary church weddings. The social science research methods used in this project revealed insights into the ministry of contemporary church weddings with the intention of shaping responsive parochial wedding policies. This thesis considers the potential for further local enquiry by individual marrying clergy to understand the ordinary theology (proposed by Astley) of their communities using methods of ordinary research alongside a shared reflective practice. It highlights the socio-theological interface within reflective empirical theology by pastoral practitioners in the Church.
A model of participatory action research incorporating online clergy forums and change agent groups is explored to stimulate parochial and institutional change among clergy in partnership with each other. The role of priest researchers is proposed and identified in other pastoral contexts to examine factors that motivate clergy to participate in the development of pastorally responsive national policies. A methodology of personal diaries, focus groups and one to one interviews is used to explore the responses of clergy to participating in reflective praxis.
The findings point to key factors in developing pastoral practice and policies involving the place of ministerial development and attitudes towards collaborative working. A typology of pastoral ministry is developed towards identifying priest researchers in the Church. The research affirms the contribution of pastoral practitioners towards the development of pastorally responsive national policies but the nature of parochial deployment and clergy relationships with each other and the Church institutions frequently preclude much of this contribution.Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10540/3462242014-04-01T00:00:00Z